Clander



Mamh 1927' c. E. AYRES COLANDER Filed Dec. 5, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 1927' c. E. AYRES COLANDER Fil ed Dec. 5, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 22, 1927.

omme stares CLAUDE E. AYEES, AXTELL, NEBRASKA.

COLANDEB.

Application filed December 3, 1925. serial No. 73,015.

This invention. relates to colanders and one objectof the invention is to provide a colander which may be connected with a table or other suitable support and held stationary above the top of the table so that as material to be strained is forced through the colander it may be received in a receptacle placed upon the table'beneath the colande'r.--

Another object of the invention is to so form the operating means 'for forcing the material through the colander, that thematerial may be easily and quickly forced through a perforated bottom of the colander. Another object of the invention is to so mount the operating means that it will be yieldably held'in the proper operative relation to the perforated bottom of the colander but permitted to yield upwardly so that 0 blades formingpart of the operating means may pass over seeds resting upon the bottom of the colander.

Another object of the invention is to so form the perforations in the bottomiof the colander that the inner face of the bottom will be irregular and thereby provide ridges which will engage with the fruit being operated upon and cause the fruit to be readily forced through the outlet openings.

Another object of the invention is to so mount the bottom of. the colander that it will be firmly held in, operative relation to the body portion thereof but permitted of beingeasily and quickly removed and thoroughlycleaned. i V

.This invention is illustrated in the. accompanying drawings, wherein-- Figure 1 is a perspective View of the improved colander; a

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken longitudinally through the colander;

'Fig.m3- is a vertical transverse sectional view through the colander.

Fig. ids-an enlarged View showing one of the table-engaging clamps in side eleva tion and in gripping engagement with a table top shown iii-section, and

Fig." 5 is a fragmentary perspective'view illustrating the manner ofconnecting one end of'the colander bottomwith the body of the colander.

The body portion or receptacle 1 is preferably formed of sheet metal but may be formed of any material desired. Thisflreceptacle' or housing is rectangular in shape,

and provided with end walls 2 and 3 and side walls 4 and The side and end walls may be of any desired depth accordingto the quantity ofmaterial whichit is desired to have the colander receive and these walls have their upper'edges flush with each other so that the cover or'lid 6) which closes the open upper end of the housing may 'fit i'nl fiat contacting engagement with the upper edges of the walls, asshown in FlgSLQ and 3. Depending flanges 7 are formedat'the" ends and sides of'the cover to enga'gethe.

side and end walls of the housingand retaiii the cover firmly in place. A handle8'6f' a conventional construction is carried the cover so that the cover may be readily'ap plied to the housing orremoved. Referring.

to Figs. 1 and 3. it will be seen that the end walls 2v and 3extend downwardl'y be' low the lower edges of the side. walls 4 and 5 and formed with arcuate edges. These extended lower end portions of the'end walls are substantially semi-circular in shape and are adapted for engagementwith the arcuate' trough-like bottom '9 adjacent the ends of the bottom. At its ends the bottom is formed with flanges 10 which overlap the outer faces of the dependinglower endpor tions of the end walls so as joints and prevent the material being passed through the colander from forcing the lower end portions of the end walls out of proper engagement with'thebottom.

A rod 11 is secured transversely of the wall 4 near its lower end. as shown in Fig. 3, and has its end port-ions projected outwardly from the end walls 2 and 3 for'en'- gagement by hooks 12 providedat the ends of the bottom at one side thereof. These hooks 12'are preferably formed from wire strands which extend along the flanges 10 and may be secured by havingthe flanges rolled over them. They may extend thefull length. of the flanges 0r "only-for a portion thereof but it is important that the wires from which thehooks areformed be projected from the flanges and bent w form bills for engagement with the projected. ends to formtig'ht of the rod 11. At its other side the bottom carries threaded stems 13 which project from its side edge and are adapted to be engaged with the outstanding flanges 1 1 of the clips 15 secured against the wall 5 of the housing, These stems 13 carry securing nuts 16, and it will be readily understood that, when the hooks 12 are engaged with the projected ends of the rod 11 and the stems 13 engaged with. the clips and the nuts 16 tightened, the bottom will be firmly held in place and the depending end portions of the end walls of the housing prevented from being bulged outwardly by the material forced through the colander. The bottom is formed with perforations 17 constituting outlets for the material, and referring to Figs. 2 and 3 it will be seen that, when the perforations are formed, the material of the bottom about the perforations or outlet openings is forced inwardly. This causes the bottom to have an irregular inner surface and forms ridges about the openings which will tend to engage the material to be passed through these openings and cause its movement across the bottom to be retarded and the material more readily forced through the openings.

In order ,to support the receptacle or housing in spaced relation above the table 18, there has been provided a bracket which includes standards 19 held in spaced relation to each other by a cross bar 20. Arms 21 extend from the upper ends of the standards 19 and are secured against the outer faces of the end walls 2 and 3 by rivets 21 or in any other desired manner. These arms are prevented from being bent downwardly by the weight of the receptacle and material placed therein by diagonally extending braces 22. At their lower ends the stand ards 19 are formed with clamps 23 having upper and lower arms 2 f and 25. The ar'ms 25 which constitute stationary jaws rest upon the upper face of the table top and the lower arms extend beneaththe table top and each terminates in a bearing 26 to receive a set screw 27. The set screw extends upwardly and terminates in a spherical head 28 received in a socket! 29 formed upon the under face of a movable jaw 30 adapted to engage'the under face of the table top when the set screw is tightened.

-At one end the movable jaw is slidably engaged with a rib 31 formed upon the vertically extending portion 32 of the clamp so that the movable jaw will be prevented from turning out of its proper position with respect to the stationary jaw. The colander can, therefore, be readily applied to a table top and firmly anchored in engagement therewith.

The operating means, by means of which the material to be strained is forced through the perforations in the bottom of the colander consist of a paddle wheel which is rotatably mounted in the housing. The hub 33 of the paddle wheel is mounted upon a shaft 34 and held against turning thereon by means of a key 35 which passes through the hub and shaft intermediate the length of the hub. The hub is of sufficient length to fit snugly in the housing between the bearings which are indicated in general by the numeral 36 but the shaft is of greater length and has its end portions extending externally of the housing through vertically elongated openings 37 formed in the end walls 2 and 3. At one end the shaft is formed with a rigid collar 38 and at its other end it carries a collar 39 which is placed upon the protruding end of the shaftand secured in a set position by a set screw 40. It will thus be seen that the shaft may be prevented from having longitudinal movement and at the same time permitted to turn freely in the bearings. The handle 41, by means of which the shaft is rotated may be fitted upon a squared end portion 42 of the shaft and secured by a set screw if desired or the end nortion of the shaft which receives the crank handle may be threaded and the handle have threaded engagement with the shaft, Arms 43 extend radially from the hub 33 of the paddle wheel and have their outer free end portions 44 bent to extend diagonally of their inner end portions and flattened to form feet against which the blades 45 are secured. These blades extend longitudinally of the receptacle or housing and since the outer end portions of the arms or spokes 4-3 are inclined, as shown in Fig. 3, the blades will be disposed substantially tangentially of the arcuate bottom 9 as they move across the bottom and will move the material across the bottom of the colander in such a manner that it will be engaged against the uneven inner surface of the bottom and readily forced through the openings.

The bearings, by means of which the shaft is rotatably mounted each includes an outer plate 46 which has flat contacting engagement with the outer, face of an end wall of the receptacle in covering relation to the opening 37 formed therein. A stud 4'? extends'inwardly from the outer plate 46 through the opening 37 with itsinner end portion extending inwardly of the receptacle 7 wall and carrying an inner plate 46 which has close contacting engagement with the inner face of the receptacle wall in covering relation to the opening formed therein. The inner plate may be held upon the stud in any desired manner. In view of the fact that the openings formed in the end walls of the receptacle are covered by the inner and outer plates of the bearings, these openings are sealed in a very effective manner and the passage of material through them prevented.

It is desired to normally'l'etaiirtlie operating element or paddle wheel in the position shown in :Fig. 3 so that; its blades will move in a path close to the inner surface of the bottom 9 but permit the blades to move away from thebottom in-case= a large seed or other obstruction is encountered and thereby prevent the blades frombecoming wedged. If the blades became wedged, there would be danger of them being bent or other portions of the operating means broken. In order to yieldably retain the operating means in the normal position shownin Fig. 3, there has been provided springs 48 which have their upper ends engaged with hooks 49 attached to the outer plates of the bearings, as shown in Fig. 2, or formed by cutting tongues from the plate and bending these tongues outwardly, as shown in Fig. 1. The lower ends of the springs 48 are engaged with hooks 50 secured to the outer faces of the end walls near their lower ends and as the springs exert a downward pull they will yieldably hold the bearings against upward movement and normally retain them in engagement with the abutments 51 secured to the end walls. lVhile each bearing has been shown engaged by two springs extending downwardly therefrom in diverging relation, it will be understood that if desired each bearing could be engaged by a single spring which would be disposed intermediate the width of the outer plate and engaged with the plate and end wall of the housing above and below the abutment 51.

hen this colander is in use it is attached to the table, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, and a dish or other receptacle placed upon the table beneath the colander. The material to be strained is poured into the receptacle after the cover has been removed and the cover then replaced so that the material will not be thrown out of the receptacle as the operating element or paddle wheel is rotated. The paddle wheel is now rotated by means of the crank handle and as it turns the blades will engage the material in the receptacle and cause it to be moved across the bottom circumferentially thereof. This will cause the material to engage against the uneven surfaces of the bottom and it will be readily forced through the outlet openings in the bottom. The skins or seeds of the fruit will, of course, remain in the colander. After all of the material has been strained through the openings, the receptacle placed beneath the colander is removed and the colander can then be detached from the table and cleaned by running water through it after the bottom has been removed. It will, therefore, be seen that the colander is so constructed that material can be readily strained through it and that if a seed or other obstruction is encountered by one of the blades there will be no danger of the colander being broken as the paddle wheel will be permitted to move up wardly against the action of the springs-48 andpass: the obstructiom Having thus described the invention, 1 claim:

1. A colander comprising a housing having opposed I wall s ianda bottom formed-with out let openings, an operating element in said housing, and bearings to rotatably support said operating element, said bearings being slidably supported by said walls and yieldably held against movement away from said bottom.

2. A colander comprising a housing having opposed walls and an arcuate bottom formed with outlet openings, the material of said bottom being forced inwardly about the openings to provide an irregular inner surface for the bottom, and a rotary operating element in said housing including a hub having arms extending therefrom and blades carried by said arms and extending longitudinally of the bottom and movement circumferentially thereof adjacent its inner surface and when the operating element is rotating, and bearings rotatably supporting said operating element, said bearings being slidably supported by said opposed walls and yieldably held against movement upwardly from said bottom.

3. A colander comprising a housing having an arcuate bottom formed with outlet opening I the material of said bottom being forced inwardly about the openings to provide an irregular inner surface for the bottom, a rotary operating element in said housing including a hub having arms extending radially therefrom with their outer end portions inclined to extend substantially tangentially of said arcuate bottom, and blades carried by the inclined end portions of said arms and having movement circumferentially of said bottom adjacent its inner surface when the operating element is rotating.

4. A colander comprising a housing having an arcuate perforated bottom and end walls formed with vertically elongated openings, a rotary operating element in said housing having a shaft extending through the openings of said walls, bearings for said shaft slidably carried by said walls in covering relation to said openings, and resilient means yieldably resisting upward. movement of said bearings.

5. A colander comprising a housing having an arcuate perforated bottom and end walls formed with vertically elongated openings,

having bearings slidably carried by said walls in covering relation to said openings, means for limiting downward movement of said bearings, a rotary operating element in said housing and journaled in said bearings, and springs yieldably resisting upward movement of said bearings.

6. A colander comprising a housing having an arcuate perforated bottom and end walls formed with vertically elongated openings, bearings slidably carried by said Walls in covering relation to said openings and each including inner and outer plates in contacting engagement with its cooperating housing end Wall and a stud joining the inner and outer plates and extending through the opening in said end Wall, a rotary operating element in said housing and journaled in the studs of said bearings, abutments for limiting downward sliding of said bearings, and means yieldably resisting upward movement of said bearings and operating element.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

CLAUDE E. AYRES [L. 8.] 

